Enough is enough

THE Spanish government is looking at the possibility of privatising a large number of state-owned companies, a bold move. I sincerely hope that some of Majorcas state-owned firms are on the list. The Palma Water and Rubbish collection company Emaya, has more than one thousand staff and its wage bill is enormous. Employees receive four additional payments every year, an outrageous state of affairs when you consider that those who work in the private sector only receive two. By cutting back on the huge wage bill the city council would save a small fortune. I feel that government employees should be brought into line with their counterparts in the private sector. The state can no longer afford to subsidise thousands of over paid government employees. Unfortunately state workers have not got the message. Just two weeks ago workers at EMAYA were threatening industrial action as the city council moved to outlaw some of their outrageous perks. In the end the city council was forced to back down. The four million civil servants in Spain have become a real drain on the Spanish state and their wages alone cause a major dent in Spain´s cash reserves. I sincerely hope that the Spanish government´s privatisation plans also involve some of the state-owned companies in the Balearics. In these difficult times the islands can no longer afford to pay state-funded employees such big perks. Enough is enough, time for some action.